The systems and methods described herein relate generally to orthopedic devices and, more particularly, to ankle braces for stabilizing the ankle against inversion and eversion without limiting normal plantarflexion and dorsiflexion of the ankle.
Certain injuries to the lower extremities, including the ankle, are remarkably common. Such injuries may include severe ankle sprains. Once injured, the extremity often becomes unstable for some period of time, and the risk of re-injury is high. Moreover, repetitive sprains occurring over several years can result in long-term weakness.
Thus, it is desirable to have a brace that allows the user to move freely, while at the same time providing support during the recuperation period and providing long-term support to reduce the chance for re-injury.
There are a number of known ways to stiffen fabric orthopedic supports for injured parts of the anatomy. U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,847, for example, discloses an ankle brace that has a plurality of pockets. Rigid stay members are inserted into the pockets to form a rigid structure that surrounds and immobilizes the ankle. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,365, 4,280,488, 4,440,158, and 4,825,856, among others, disclose similar arrangements.
A drawback of these designs is that multiple stays are typically formed and inserted independently into the pockets of the brace and are therefore not able to sufficiently maintain a particular orientation with respect to the ankle during plantarflexion and dorsiflexion. Furthermore, the stays are typically die-cut from plastic of constant thickness and secured within the pockets during manufacture. The shape of the stays is therefore quite limited, and the final support often does not fit the anatomy adequately.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a brace that stabilizes the ankle against inversion and eversion without limiting normal plantarflexion and dorsiflexion thereof.